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Potential root cause of Alzheimer’s may have just been discovered
independent.co.uk • • health
Key Points:
- A study from the Institute of Basic Science in South Korea suggests that abnormal activation of the ERBB4 receptor protein in excitatory neurons may link early nerve cell changes to memory decline in Alzheimer's disease.
- Researchers found that in Alzheimer's, ERBB4, normally present in inhibitory neurons, is abnormally expressed in excitatory neurons, leading to nerve cell overactivity and cognitive impairment.
- In mouse models, gene-editing to remove ERBB4 from excitatory neurons reduced brain hyperactivity, decreased plaque buildup, calmed reactive supporting cells, and improved memory and spatial cognition.
- The study also observed that activating ERBB4 in healthy mice induced symptoms resembling Alzheimer's, and elevated ERBB4 expression was confirmed in excitatory neurons from post-mortem human Alzheimer’s brains.
- These findings highlight ERBB4 as a potential early driver of Alzheimer's pathology and a promising target for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative diseases.
